The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless telephony. Specifically, the present invention relates to a more compact and ergonomic means for dialling a telephone number into a wireless telephone unit.
Since their introduction, wireless communication systems including pagers, cellular telephones and low-tier radio telephones, have become increasingly popular. Such devices provide an extremely convenient means of communication.
Wireless communication systems, particularly cellular telephones and low-tier radio telephones, are convenient because they allow their users to communicate from almost any location in a service area. Wireless phones also save time. For example, the user of a wireless telephone unit need not waste time looking for an available telephone in order to place a call.
A wireless telephone unit also allows its user to take advantage of time spent traveling. For example, with a wireless telephone, the user can be transacting business or making appointments while driving, riding or walking.
In order to utilize fully these advantages of wireless telephones, it should be convenient for the user to have the wireless telephone unit readily available at all times. In recognition of this fact, modern wireless telephones have become increasingly smaller and lighter to facilitate being carried by the user.
Moreover, a wireless telephone user who is walking or driving, may have only a single hand readily available to operate the wireless telephone unit. This consideration has lead to some attempts to design wireless telephone units that are easily operated with a single hand.
A typical wireless telephone may have a small liquid crystal display capable of displaying, for example, up to four lines of text. Using such a display, the user may scroll through stored data, such as a directory of telephone numbers, and select, for example, a number to be called. The display may also show a list of functions through which the user can scroll. When a function, such as speaker volume, is selected, the user can then input information or parameters to govern that function.
Accordingly, a wireless telephone unit with a display can be readily programmed and adapted to provide many features and functions that would not otherwise be available. However, as may be appreciated, the goal of providing a large, versatile, easily read display on a wireless telephone unit is at odds with the goal of providing a compact unit. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved wireless telephone unit that is both compact and ergonomic, but which also provides a large, versatile, easily read display.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to meet the above-described needs and others. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless telephone unit which is compact and ergonomic and has a large, versatile, easily read display.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless telephone with a virtual dialer that can replace the standard keypad, thereby allowing more room for an enhanced display without increasing the size of the unit.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows or may be learned by those skilled in the art through reading these materials or practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be achieved through the means recited in the attached claims.
To achieve the stated and other objects of the present invention, as embodied and described below, the invention may encompass a wireless telephone unit having a virtual dialer having: a display; an image of a numeric keypad displayed on the display, the image comprising a plurality of digit keys, each digit key representing a digit; a cursor and a cursor controller, wherein the cursor moves on the display among the digit keys in response to the cursor controller, the cursor highlighting one of the digit keys at a time; and a digit selection key which, when pressed, indicates selection of one of the digit keys highlighted by the cursor.
The cursor controller may be a trackball or joystick. If a joystick is used, the digit selection key may be located under the joystick and actuated by downward pressure on the joystick. A digit represented by a selected digit key may be displayed on the display.
The present invention also encompasses a method of using a wireless telephone unit having a virtual dialer by: providing a display; displaying an image of a numeric keypad on the display, the image comprising a plurality of digit keys, each digit key representing a digit; moving a cursor with a cursor controller on the display, the cursor moving among the digit keys in response to the cursor controller and highlighting one of the digit keys at a time; and pressing a digit selection key to indicate selection of one of the digit keys highlighted by the cursor.
Again, the cursor controller may be a trackball or joystick. If a joystick is used, the pressing of a digit selection key may be accomplished by applying downward pressure on the joystick. The present method may continue by displaying a digit represented by a selected digit key on the display.
The present invention may also encompass a wireless telephone unit having an antenna which is movable between a first extended position and a second retracted position. The antenna may serve as a clip when in the second retracted position. This feature may be combined with a unit embodying the described virtual dialer or as part of the method of using such a unit.